Ask an expert - body - chest - snoring

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A. I'm afraid the evidence for using acupuncture to help with snoring is very thin on the ground. Occasionally a study on a related technique in which acupuncture is used as a test intervention shows that some specific points have an effect, as in

there are no trials of which we are aware which provide anything like the evidence which we would need to give a defintive answer. We hear of individual cases where someone's snoring has been reduced or stopped, but there may have been other factors at play. Let's face it, families will usually suggest the sufferer tries everything at the same time to give everyone a break.

The strength of Chinese medicine, however, is that it looks at each individual patient as someone with a unique pattern of energy, and the practitioner's understanding of this pattern may offer a different take on what is going on. The Chinese had a very simple belief that if everything was in balance symptoms would disappear, and there is always a chance that something specific, understood in Chinese terms, might be correctible and offer some relief.

As in all cases of slightly less well documented problems, it is important to establish with a reputable practitioner before starting treatment whether they think they can help, and if treatment does commence to set very clear outcomes and review dates.

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